Xing Tie: Wait a minute! How come Weng Xing has two saviors?

"But... the severity of the problem now goes beyond the 'destruction' equation itself, which is destined to break free."

Black Tower paused, seemingly organizing his thoughts, before finally admitting with a hint of lingering fear, "To be honest, the waters of Onfaros are much deeper and more murky than when I first arrived. I'm even a little glad that I brought that guy, Slugum, here before I decided to investigate further."

She glanced at the silent mechanical gentleman beside her. Screw Gum's electronic eyes flickered slightly, and he took over the conversation, speaking in his consistently steady, metallic voice:

"Ms. Black Tower's judgment is accurate. When we tried to hack into the Onpharos core database, we encountered an android life form that called itself Laigus. We speculate that he may be the system administrator of Onpharos."

"That guy is probably not simple either," Black Tower added, his tone even carrying a hint of... displeasure at meeting a worthy opponent?

"It demonstrated amazing intelligence and defensive capabilities, and not only was it able to fight us to a standstill in a pure data attack and defense battle without me and Screwgum using any additional computing power."

ScrewGumm continued to describe in detail: "What's even more surprising is that when we subsequently mobilized additional computing power from ScrewStar and Black Tower Space Station in an attempt to block and trace its origins..."

"The other party still found the loophole in a very short time and managed to escape unscathed, leaving no trace for them to follow. Their efficiency and counter-surveillance capabilities were as if... this escape procedure had been rehearsed countless times."

"Moreover, and most importantly," Black Tower emphasized, "we don't know if he's holding back his trump card or simply looking down on us. From beginning to end, he hasn't used the computing power of this 'Imperial Scepter' itself! It's been dealing with us entirely on its own!"

This news caused Walter to frown deeply. A powerful omnic, independent of Onfaros's scepter system, yet able to move freely within this region? This undoubtedly added a huge variable to an already complex situation.

"After successfully bypassing the firewall and scanning a portion of Onfaros's core database," Screwgoom steered the conversation back to the core crisis.

"We have discovered an even more startling fact: another anomalous equation called 'Existence' is occupying and gradually replacing the 'incubation slot' of the original 'Destruction' equation with extremely high priority."

Black Tower picked up where he left off, dropping the most significant deduction: "Then, Screw and I conducted a joint deduction based on all the available data. The results show that, if left unchecked, this 'survival' equation will completely break free after approximately twenty-six system hours."

"And its first command after hatching was not to create or protect, but—" Black Tower's voice was icy, "to forcibly absorb and permanently seal away the original 'Destruction' equation within Onfaros."

“Don’t doubt it,” she said, looking at the sudden change in everyone’s expression. “This equation has been done a long time ago.”

"The raging 'red tide' you see sweeping the world is the most direct evidence. The so-called 'red tide' is essentially the initial product of 'existence' attempting to engulf and cover 'destruction'!"

“Then… Lady Black Tower,” Danheng asked calmly, “shouldn’t this be… a good thing? The potential threat of the Extinction Lord will naturally disappear without our direct intervention.”

"Good? What's so good about it!" Black Tower almost rolled his eyes. "You think that's a gentle fusion? That's brutal overlay and devouring!"

"In our simulated future, at the moment the 'Existence' equation breaks free, the entire Onpharos, along with all related star systems within several light-years of it, will be completely sealed by this extremely special amber!"

Chapter 259 Long Night Moon: "Existence" is not the enemy of expansion.

Screw Gum projected a holographic image, showing the deduction results: the stars were frozen, everything was still, and everything was sealed in a brilliant yet lifeless golden amber.

“This kind of sealing is not a simple freezing,” Screws explained, “it is closer to a conceptual level of ‘absolute stillness’ and ‘fixation’.”

"According to our calculations, as long as the 'Existence' equation itself is not destroyed from the outside, anything sealed within its amber will face extremely high difficulty in breaking free. We can even assert that—without using power at the level of a Commander, it is virtually impossible."

“At that time,” Black Tower concluded, his voice tinged with a chill, “Onpharos will face an end more complete than ‘destruction’—a colossal and magnificent cosmic specimen forever frozen in the moment of ‘existence’.”

“And this is only the best-case scenario in our simulation,” Black Tower added, her words making the already heavy atmosphere even more oppressive.

"Given the unique nature of the 'Imperial Scepter,' the 'survival' equation born from it is unlikely to lose its underlying logic of 'expansion' and 'assimilation.' It might even spread more rapidly after it devours the 'destruction' equation."

Her virtual finger traced a huge arc in the air, representing a galaxy.

"At that time, it will not only be Onpharos that will be sealed away. Several, or even a dozen, star systems around it will probably suffer greatly, gradually being swallowed up by the ever-spreading Amber Nebula, and eventually becoming part of that eternally frozen scroll."

Walter exhaled a long breath, as if trying to expel the pent-up emotions in his chest along with that absurd sense of familiarity.

Project Stigmata... When he silently uttered this name in his heart, he even felt a bitter self-mockery.

He should have realized this long ago when he saw Bai Mo, who looked so much like Kevin, and felt that resolute determination to "survive" at all costs.

Different worlds, similar predicaments, and, when taken to extremes, strikingly similar "final solutions."

He forced himself to calm down, adjusted his black-rimmed glasses, and his gaze behind the lenses became sharp and focused again:

"So, Ms. Black Tower, Mr. Screwgoom, with the intelligence and power we currently possess, is there any way to prevent the final breaking of that 'Existence' equation?"

Screw Gum's mechanical head turned slightly towards the Great Black Tower, and the two exchanged a silent glance.

Then, Screwgoom spoke in his uniquely calm voice, his tone carrying a hint of rational helplessness:

“I’m afraid that won’t work, Mr. Walter. This matter actually involves the Star God. And the Star God’s blessing manifests in two main ways.”

He extended his mechanical finger and projected a holographic image.

"Firstly, it is a 'miracle' that descends from the star god and has a physical form or specific use."

"For example, the abundant miracle in the history of the Immortal Boat Alliance—the Jianmu; and the supercomputer we are in right now, which carries and evolves Onpharos—the 'Imperial Scepter'. They are themselves the embodiment of the power of the Star God."

"Secondly, the star gods bestow upon an individual extraordinary powers and status through direct 'glance' and grace. This is what we usually call a 'commander'."

Screw's electronic eye focused on Walter.

"As things stand at the moment in Onfaros, neither Nanuk's 'destruction,' Fuli's 'memory,' nor the 'wisdom' of the 'wise one' have directly elevated any individual to the position of messenger here."

"Their influence in this place is manifested and intervened through the 'miracles' that have been performed previously."

“Therefore, based on the current situation, we have reason to suspect,” Black Tower continued, his tone resolute.

"That 'existence' equation about to hatch, and the eternal amber it will release after hatching, enough to seal the galaxy, is very likely the 'miracle' that the 'preservation' star god—Krippe—will leave behind in Onpharos."

“Furthermore,” Screwgoom added, “that ‘Laigus’ who was suspected to be the Onpharos system administrator also revealed a crucial piece of information to us before the battle:”

"From the moment the fate of 'preservation' emerged and began to influence Onphalus's calculations, the breaking of the 'existence' equation became an irreversible 'fact.' It was not a 'process' that could be prevented, but a 'result' that was destined to come."

"So, do you understand, everyone in the train crew?" Black Tower spread his hands, giving his final summary, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Your most rational and safest choice right now is to immediately return to the Star Train and leave this star field without looking back."

"Whatever your reasons for wanting to stay—whether it's unfinished pioneering work, attachment to the locals, or any form of responsibility—they will all lose their meaning after the twenty-sixth system, when the light of amber shines over everything."

Her advice was cold and cruel, but based on undeniable facts.

But then—

“Perhaps…” an elegant yet clear voice rang out, like a pebble thrown into a still lake, “someone has left you another option?”

All eyes instantly focused on Chang Yeyue, who had spoken.

"What do you mean?" Walter pressed first. "Does Miss Long Night Moon know of any way to change Onpharos's current situation?"

"I can't say for sure... Whether that counts as a 'method' to change Onpharos's fate or not, you'll have to see for yourselves." Chang Yeyue gently shook her head, and in her hand, a peculiar fragment of memory crystal appeared at some point.

This crystal is quite different from the regular octahedral purple membranomorphic crystals commonly found in Onphalus.

It is significantly larger and has an extremely bizarre shape—only the bottom half of the crystal is relatively intact, maintaining a smooth cut.

Apart from that, the rest of the crystal is covered with dense, spiderweb-like cracks, barely able to piece together the broken outline of a regular octahedron.

Furthermore, this fracturing exhibits a disturbing gradient: the higher up one goes, the denser the cracks become, and the more severe the fracturing.

When Xing's gaze shifted to the very top of the crystal, she felt that it could hardly be called a "crystal" anymore, but rather extremely fine crystalline dust that could dissipate at any moment, barely maintaining its final form only by some invisible force.

Holding the crystal that carried the unknown and the broken past, Chang Yeyue's dark red pupils shimmered with complex light, and her tone became more solemn than ever before:

“A man named Camerslana approached me and made a deal with me. He wanted to use me to tell you—”

"Existence is not the enemy of expansion..."

Chapter 260 The peerless, stunningly beautiful Lady Black Tower is coming to save the universe!

P.S.: Those who frequently read this novel are in for a treat. You didn't expect it, did you? I secretly updated another chapter.

"Is 'Existence' not the enemy of 'Exploration'?" Walter frowned, analyzing the meaning behind the sentence.

Given Onfaros's current near-absolute blockade of "existence," it's difficult for him to associate it with the "pioneering" destiny that symbolizes exploration, progress, and breaking boundaries, let alone regard it as an ally.

"Question: Miss Changyeyue, may I understand that..." ScrewGumm's electronic eyes flickered slightly, accurately capturing the subtle possibility hidden in her words, "...the breaking of the 'existence' equation, its final result still contains some kind of... 'turning point' that hasn't been included in our deductions?"

"I cannot guarantee that the ending will definitely change." Chang Yeyue reiterated, holding the shattered fragment of memory as if supporting a fragile world. "I said that you need to see and judge the truth for yourselves. All I can offer is... a perspective."

The Great Black Tower crossed his arms, pondered silently for a moment, then turned his gaze to the three members of the Starry Sky Train, his tone unusually questioning:

"And you? Nameless passengers of the Star Train. If... just if, there truly existed even the slightest chance to stop this catastrophe, however slim, what would you do?"

Xing, Danheng, and Walter quickly exchanged a glance. Without needing many words, they saw the same answer in each other's eyes.

Xing stepped forward, representing the three of them and also the will of "pioneering," and spoke loudly:

"If there is a real chance to stop this catastrophe that will affect countless lives, the Nameless Guest will never sit idly by." Her voice was clear and firm, filled with an unwavering determination.

"Hmph, quite the nice talk, little fellow." The Great Black Tower chuckled, but his smile held less of its usual mockery and more of an approval and decisiveness.

"Alright, since you all have this courage, then the unparalleled Lady Black Tower will make an exception this time and join you in... 'saving the galaxy.' Don't hold this genius back."

Chang Yeyue looked at the group that had quickly reached a consensus, a hint of approval and envy flashing in her dark red pupils. She nodded.

"It seems you are ready to face the truth. So... let's witness together, let's confront together, the truth that has been buried deep behind the birth of the 'Existence' equation..."

Before she finished speaking, the shattered memory fragment in her hand suddenly burst forth with unimaginable dazzling light!

The light, like a warm tide, instantly enveloped and submerged everyone's consciousness, dragging them into an endless realm of pure white...

Meanwhile, in stark contrast to the eerie tranquility at the heart of the cosmic vortex, the "intelligence" data domain constructed by Bai Mo is on the verge of collapse due to the intense collision of the four destinies!

A figure moved with lightning speed, accompanied by a sharp gust of wind. "Sai Fei'er" delivered a fierce side kick straight for Bai Mo's waist and abdomen!

As if he had eyes in the back of his head, Bai Mo slightly turned his body and, by the slightest margin, caused the kick that was enough to shatter the mountain rocks to miss its mark.

He didn't even look at "Saifeier" who had failed in this "sneak attack." With his right hand in a loose grip, a long spear made of pure amber instantly materialized!

Lunge, twist your waist, and swing your arms!

The movements were executed in one smooth, fluid motion, full of explosive power!

The amber spear transformed into a streak of orange-red light that tore through space, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, shooting straight toward "Wan Di" who was drawing a longbow made of blood-red crystals in the distance, with arrows already aimed at him!

The amber spear struck the crimson energy arrow fired by "Ten Thousand Enemies" with pinpoint accuracy, shattering it like fragile glass!

The spear continued its trajectory with undiminished force, like a deadly meteor, hurtling towards the archer.

However, just before the spear reached his body, the figure of "Wan Di" and the blood-red longbow in his hand, like sand paintings scattered by the wind, naturally turned into specks of blue-purple memory fragments and vanished without a trace.

The spear pierced through nothingness, but struck nothing.

The "Sai Fei'er" who had just failed to launch a sneak attack had already turned into the same fragments and scattered after Bai Mo dodged.

These "partners" who were so familiar to Bai Mo, yet attacked him time and time again, were not physical entities. They were echoes of the past resurrected from the long river of time by Xi Lian, who used the authority of "Years" combined with the power of "Memory".

Golden light shone from his side! The figure of "Aglaia" quietly appeared, and countless dazzling golden threads containing the power of "romance" coiled around him like serpents, trying to restrain Bai Mo's movements.

She herself held a golden needle sword made of extremely compressed and condensed golden threads, and with a resolute cold light, she stabbed it toward Bai Mo's heart!

Almost simultaneously, the space on the other side distorted slightly. Before "Haiserin's" figure was fully clear, the cold light in her hand, symbolizing extreme sharpness, had already broken through the limitations of time and space, appearing silently on Bai Mo's neck, slashing towards his throat with a deadly threat!

In the past, their tacit yet deadly combined attacks might have targeted terrifying creations within the surging black tide, or powerful enemy generals in the Golden War.

But at this moment, these attacks, carrying the weight of past glory and fighting instincts, all landed on Bai Mo.

Despite the double attack from the past, Bai Mo's eyes remained calm.

He didn't even make a big move; his hands simply shot out with lightning speed—his left hand precisely caught the tip of the golden needle sword that "Aglaia" was thrusting at him, and the power that was enough to pierce through metal and stone came to an abrupt halt at his fingertips.

His right hand firmly grasped the invisible blade of "Heather," allowing it to cut through him, yet it could not advance even an inch further!

He doesn't need to do anything more.

As before, once the "moment" of this attack is reproduced and ends, these phantoms, which rely on specific combat fragments, will naturally dissipate into countless blue-purple fragments, as if they have completed their mission.

However, just as Bai Mo was dealing with these "phantoms" from the past—

Bai E and Xi Lian's true ultimate move has been prepared!

Bai E held the "Invading Dawn" sword high in his hand, and his aura surged wildly like a volcano about to erupt!

What's even more chilling is that, beside him, in the void, twelve broken vessel clones, each clad in tattered armor and with different shapes, appeared simultaneously!

The twelve clones, together with Bai E's main body, moved in perfect unison, like different parts of a sophisticated war machine!

The immense and boundless power of "destruction," imbued with the meaning of ending, surged and converged wildly in Bai E's "Dawn's Invasion"!

Black and red destructive lightning flashed fiercely on the sword, scorching and distorting the surrounding data space and evaporating it!

Bai E's eyes were sharp, his gaze fixed intently on Bai Mo.

He was about to unleash this ultimate attack, a culmination of his own power and the combined strength of his twelve containers, upon Bai Mo—without any mercy!

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P.S.: Hehe, thank you all for your support! Did you like the little surprise from the author? I saw all your requests for more updates. The author doesn't ask for much, just please click and leave comments urging more updates!

P.S.: These little surprises might not happen only once in the future.